The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-04-11
BILL NYE ON COURTESY.

!. Of the interstate commerce bill, and
Nhe disastrous and deadly effect of the
same upon the tender buds of the
sproutng annual passes at this critical
season of the year, have filled me with
chagrin and alarm, writes the genial
humorist to The Boston Globe. While
| have never been in any way the
creature of n corporation, yet for sever
al years have been more or less IL.
favor OF railroads. | have been in
favor of restricting them in measure,
and have done what could TO restrict
them. and yet we have managed to get
along smoothly together the railroads
and myself.
had been uniformly courteous to
the railroads. in return for which the
railroads had been courteous to me.
The pass provision of the interstate
commerce bill looks to me like blow
at courtesy. Can we as Americans af-
ford to sacrifice courtesy when we only
have barely enough to squeeze along
withP Think not,
hope that | have made it perfectly
clear that this is not purely a personal
matter with me. am looking toward
: he greatest good to the greatest
number. So far rs | am concerned
/ personally, | am abundantly able to
pay my fare But it will restrict my
travel. ! shall not hereafter travel
just to obtain new ideas and write
about them to those love. / will use
my old ideas. They are getting pretty
thin on the seat, perhaps, but | can
use them until the next session of con-
gress, at which time this offensive
clause of the innocuous commerce bill
will be repealed. 1t will be repealed
on the first day of the session by
rising vote.
Some newspaper men claim that they
feel great deal freer if they pay their
fare.
This is true, no doubt; but too much
freedom does not agree with me. 1t
makes me lawless. | sometimes think
that a little wholesome restriction is
the best thing in the world for me.
That is the reason | never murmur at
the conditions on the back of an an
nual past Or course they restrict me
from bringing suit against the road in
case of death, but | don't mind that.
In case of my death it is my INTENT on to
lay aside the cares and details of bust
ness and try to secure change of
scene and complete rest People who
tb;.lx that after my demise | shall have
nothing better to do than to hang
around the musty, tobacco-spattered
corridors of a courtroom and wa ii for
a verdict of damages against q court
eous railroad company do not thor
ougly understand my true nature.
But the interstate commerce bill
does not shut out the empl oye! Acting
upon this slight sugges ton of hope, l
wrote short time ago to Mr. st.
John, the genial and whole-souled
General Passenger agent of the Chica
60, and Rock Island e. Pacifi Road, as
follows:
AsnEvlLLE, N. c., February 10, 1884,
L. st. John, G. P. A., c., r. |. 81 p. Railway,
Chicg.<u.
1EAR Sm-Do you not desire an cmploye on
your charming roads / do not know what 1t
is to be an employe, for was never In that con-
dition, but pant to be one now.
OF course am ignorant of the duties of an
employee, but have always been warm friend
Of your road and rejolced In It's success. How
are your folksi Yours truly,
CoIoNEt BILL NYE
Day before yesterday l received the
following note from General st. John,
printed on a purple typewriter:
CHICAGO, February 10, 1881
Colonel Bill Nye Asheville, n. c.; -
Sm-My folks are quite well,
Yours truly, E. ST. JONI
also wrote 70 General A. V. II. Car
nepter, of the Milwaukee road, at the
same time, for we had correspondence
come back and forth in the happy past.
| wrote in about the following terms:
AsHEvILLE. N. c., Feb. TO- 1887.
A. VII. Carpenter, G. p. A. C., NJ. u st. T.
Ry., Milwaukee, Wis;
DEAR SIR--How are you fixed for employees
this spring.
faal ttl,o doln.. -. ..ltrc, - tbaf Lind and